Plug connector



Feb.- 6, 1940. G. w. POTTER 2,189,251

PLUG CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 1s, 195s INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Patented Feb. 6,1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to plug connectors and has for an object toprovide a plug connector in which the companion plug and socket membershave greater electrical contact surfaces exposed l to current ilow thanconventional plugs.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a plugyieldably gripped tightly to the socket member so that it cannot becomeaccidentally dislodged.

10 A further object is to provide a device of this character in whichthe opening in the socket member may be easily located in a dark cornerby touch, and will permit of the plug being inserted readily by straightline movement Withl out any damage being paid to prongs since thepresent invention is devoid of conventional prongs.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will beformed of a few strong 20 simple and durable parts, which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of 25 construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any 80 ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plug member of a plugconnector constructed 8E in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the socket member of theplug connector constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of n the plug members shown inFigures l and 2 assembled.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the socket member.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the 4.5 sections of the plugmember.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the other section of the plug membershowing the lugs for detachably connecting both sections of the socketmember together to permit application 60 and removal of the circuitwires.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the contact members.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts Il in the various views, I0 designates a hollow(CLN3-330) socket member formed of insulating material -and having theopen end closed through the medium of a concave guide disc II which ismounted to slide forwardly and rearwardly in the socket member. l

A helical spring I2 is secured at the front end in a groove I3 in theinner face of the guide disc and at'the inner end is secured in a grooveformed in a stud I4 formed integral with the end wall of the socketmember, as best shown 10 in Figure 2. The convolutions of the spring areconnected by longitudinal strips I5 of insulating fabric which limitexpanding movement of the spring. The spring tends .to hold the guidedisc at its outer limit of movement and 16 iscompressed and placed undertension when the guide disc is moved inwardly by insertion of the plugto store up energy and return the guide disc to its outer limit ofmovement when the plug member is disconnected as will pres- 20 ently bedescribed.

A pair of split ring contact members I6 and I 1, one of which is shownin Figure 7, are mounmd in spaced relationship in the inner longitudinalwall of the socket member I0 and are g5 provided with respective tonguesI8 and I9 which are exposed exteriorly of the socket member and receivescrews 20 for attaching circuit wires. The contact members are oftransversely concave contour to spring over the mating contacts u of theplug member and make good electrical connection through a much largersuperficial area than is possible in conventional plug connectors.

The guide disc II is yieldably held against .5 move'ment through themedium of a pair of oppositely disposed leaf springs 2|, best shown inFigures 2 and 4. The leaf springs are provided with offset portions 22which engage in respective notches 23 formed in the guide disc. a, 'I'heleaf springs are directed laterally from the notches and are providedwith U-shaped terminals 24 which are received in pockets 25 in the frontwall of the socket member I0 and are retained therein through the mediumof the rea sillency of the terminals tending to constantly expand theterminals. The free ends 2B of the leaf springs project beyond the guidedisc II and are disposed inwardly of the anged opening 21 in the wall orfloor plate 28 in which 50 the socket member is mounted. 'Ihe flange 21is provided with diametrically opposed slots 29 which prevent the socketmember rotating on the Wall plate but permit the spring 26 to yieldoutwardly when the plug member is inserted t0 5I rigidly hold the plugmember and socket member assembled, as best shown in Figure 3. 1

The plug member comprises -a plug 30, formed of insulating materialhaving tongues 3l projecting laterally from one end thereof and having aconvex face 32 at the opposite end adapted to be received by the concaveguide disc Il. The tongues 3l are received in notches 32 formed in aflange 33 of a cap 34 having an axial opening 35 through which thecircuit wires are inserted to be connected-to the plug contacts. Theplug is given a quarter turn after the tongues have entered the notchesso that the tongues lodge underneath the flange 33 and preventaccidental disassembly of the cap and the plug. A spring pressed ball 36is carried by the iiange 33 of the cap and engages in a notch 3l formedink one of the tongues as best shown in Figure 6 to yieldably hold theplug against backing loose from the cap.

tive tongues 40 and 4I which receive screws 42 and 43 to which thecircuit wires may be attached. The split ring contact members are alsoprovided with convex faces to be received in the K concave faces of thecontact members i6 and l1 of the socket member, as best shown in Figure3 to provide good electrical contact.

In operation to insert the plug member it is simply necessary to applythe plug member to the guide disc by straight line movement and sincethere are no contact prongs it is unnecessary to be particular to alignthe parts. The plug member is pushed forwardly against the guide discand during the initial stages of this movement the leaf springs 2l aredislodged from the groove 23 in the guide disc so that the guide disc isfree to be moved by the plug 32 against the tension of the spring I2until the ange l23 of the cap 34 lodges against the plate 28 in whichposition of the/parts the outer ends 26 of the leaf spring are forcedtightly against the outer end walls of the notches 29 in the flangedopening of the plate to yieldably hold the parts in unitary assembly.When the plug 32 -is at the end of its movement into the socket memberas just described, the split ring contacts I6 and l1 ofthe socket memberwill be yieldably engaged with the mating split ring contacts 38 and 39of the plug member. To detach the plug member from the socket member theabove movements are reversed.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully-understood without furtherexplanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A plug connector comprising a socket member, a concave guide discforming a closure in the open end of the socket member, a helical springconnected to 'the closure and to the inner end of the socket member foryleldably holding the disc at its-outer limit of movement in the socketmember, longitudinal strips of insulating fabric connecting theconvolutions of the spring for limiting extension of the spring, arcuateresilient metalbars countersunk in the inner surface of the socketmember and forming circuit terminals in combination with a plug memberVhaving a convex end face adapted to seat in the concave disc, andannular metal bars forming circuit terminals on said plug member, manualThe plug is provided with a pair of split ring movement of said plugmember in a rectilinear direction against said guide disc moving theguide disc to its inner limit ofv movement in the socket member untilthe circuit terminals of the plug' member engage the circuit terminalsof the socket member.

2. A plug connector comprising a socket member, a guide disc normallyclosing the open end of the socket member and having a concave frontface, there being a groove in the periphery of the guide disc, resilientlocks disposed at the open end of the socket member and yieldablyengaging in said groove, said locks having prtions projecting forwardlybeyond the disc, annular circuit terminals disposed in spacedrelationship on the inner wall of the socket member, in combination witha plug member having a convex front end adapted to seat on the concaveface of the disc said plug member being adapted to initially engage anddislodge the locks and subsequently force the disc inwardly into theinterior of the socket member, annular circuit terminals disposed inspaced relationship on the plug member engageable with said circuitterminals of the socket member when the guide disc is at its inner limitof movement inthe socket member, a helical spring connected to thesocket member and connected to the guide disc and adapted to becompressed by insertion of the plug member to return the guide disc toits outer limit of movement when the plug member is withdrawn,and'longitudinal strips of insulating material connected to theconvolutions of the spring for limiting extension of the spring.

GORDON W. PO'I'IER.

